Never Trust A Pessimist
by Fluffy Tranquil
Summary: Derek and Casey meet due to a chance encounter at the mall. They are not step-siblings, so becoming a couple is not so much of an issue. But their relationship is not perfect. There's a secret that would threaten their entire relationship if it were to get out. AU, Dasey, RxR. I don't own Life With Derek.


**Okay, so I got this idea recently. I don't think the secret will come out very soon, but it'll probably work out better that way.**

It took me a very short time to come up with a title (about a minute or two ago). I went on my Spotify to go through song titles and the one that somehow came into my head didn't even show up on Spotify yet. Haha. The song is by Wesley Jensen, who I found out just had a baby last month. :) Anyway, enjoy!

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"Yeah, Liz, I got the right color," Casey said into her cellphone. She'd stopped by the mall after she got off from work. Their mother's birthday was this weekend and she was dying to get a dress she'd seen at the mall.

"Good. I know for sure that it's the one she wants."

"Don't worry. She'll love it."

"Enough to help me with the down payment for an apartment?"

"Slow down there. I had to pay for my own place. Besides, you'll get out of that condo soon enough."

Lizzie chuckled. "It was worth a shot."

Casey's phone beeped. "Hey, my phone's dying. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Remember to call in the order for the cake."

"I will. I think the bakery closes at seven, but I don't know if my phone will have enough charge for me to order it. If not, I'll make sure I call the cake in by tomorrow morning."

"All right. Thank you so much for doing this. The next few days are just going to be really crazy for me."

"It's no problem, Liz. I've been through it, so I know how it—ugh, I know that you need charging. Sorry, my phone keeps beeping. It's probably going to turn off any moment now. I really need to go."

"Bye."

"See ya." Casey hung up her phone and then shut it off, but not before checking the time: 6:15. She would definitely have to call the bakery tomorrow morning before she left for work. Sighing, she set her phone down on the table and took a sip of her smoothie.

"Hi, I couldn't help but overhear that you needed to make a call. Um, I could let you borrow my phone if you needed to."

She looked up at the person who'd spoken. "Oh, no, it's fine."

"I really don't mind."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Just don't call a long distance number," he joked.

"I won't." She took the phone from his outstretched hand and dialed a number that she'd written on a page in her planner. After ordering the cake and providing her information, she hung up the phone and handed it back to the man who'd let her use it. "Thank you so much. I really needed to get that done by tomorrow."

"Someone must love cake."

"Eh, I like the frosting, but that's it. I have a party to plan."

"Boyfriend?"

"No, my mother. Anyway, I should really get going. I have class in the morning."

"What school do you go to?"

"Oh, no, I'm a teacher. I teach middle school English."

"Oh, well, have a good rest of your day."

"Thanks. You too."

He waved goodbye and then walked off in the other direction.

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Derek could not believe this was his last resort. He was twenty-five years old. He did not want to work at the mall. In actuality, he didn't _work_ there, but he'd just spent the last forty-five minutes grabbing every job application he saw. Some would be tossed out immediately, whether for his lack of interest in the store or his incorrect skill set. He would then fill the few hopefuls with information that would barely impress any future employer.

He sighed and shoved the stack of yellow pages into his messenger bag.

"-bakery closes at seven, but I don't know if my phone will have enough charge for me to order it. If not, I'll make sure I call it in by tomorrow morning."

He stopped in his tracks when he heard the woman speak. He didn't mean to listen in on her call, and he certainly didn't intend to gape at her, but he wasn't in control of his automatic responses.

Right away, his hand flew to his pocket, his cellphone in his hand in seconds. After she hung up her phone, he walked over to her. "Hi, I couldn't help but overhear that you needed to make a call. Um, I could let you borrow my phone if you needed to."

"Oh, no, it's fine." She shook her head.

"I really don't mind," he said, smiling.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Just don't call a long distance number."

"I won't." She took the phone and made her call, leaving her contact information for the person on the other line. "Thank you so much. I really needed to get that done by tomorrow."

He couldn't help but try to remember the number. Finally, after repeating it to himself a few times, he said, "someone must love cake."

"Eh, I like the frosting, but that's it. I have a party to plan."

"Boyfriend?" he asked.

"No, my mother. Anyway, I should really get going. I have class in the morning."

"What school do you go to?"

"Oh, no, I'm a teacher. I teach middle school English."

"Oh, well, have a good rest of your day."

"Thanks. You too."

He waved goodbye.

Oh, he could not believe how desperate he sounded right now. Practically stealing the girl's phone number was surely a turn-off. If she hadn't said she had work the next day, he'd have tried to get it from her for sure. But there was no chance of that now, unless he saw her again.

Just calling her out of the blue and saying he had her number was beyond creepy, and it basically diminished his chances to zero. Besides, she would probably laugh when she heard his current, embarrassing job situation. Or his employment history, for that matter. A real joke. Yeah, his mother was right. His life sure is turning around...

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**Did you like it? Please let me know in a review.**

**Also, would you like more of Derek's point of view?**


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